Today on a local radio show the commentator (a personal friend) was describing his run in with one of our Representatives (US House). This man is a second term Congressman and was bemoaning the fact that Conservatives think he should be able to change how Washington works “right now”. He complained that people just didn’t understand the pressure, the amount of data, the complexities of the issues. After all he told my friend, he’s only one person and they (the Congress ) are just trying to do their best for the whole country.
This got me thinking. What do I expect of my elected representatives? The ones that I voted for and the ones that I didn’t. I’ve thought about it all day. It’s cast a real pall over my whole day because I don’t believe I’m asking for a lot. I’m not expecting people agree with me, pander to me and go about making my life a field full of sun shine, lollypops and rainbow crapping unicorns. This applies not just to the gentleman that inspired my pondering but all those who “serve” at the publics pleasure.
So what do I expect:
1. Them not to lie to me. If I didn’t vote for them I’m not going to be happy with most of the things they’ll want to do. I didn’t vote for them because of their policies not their personalities or lack there of. I don’t even vote for or against people because of their color or ethnicity. I vote FOR people not against someone else. Contrary to black america skin color is not on my list of prerequisites for a job in government.
2. Do what you say your going to do. If you say you’re for term limits, get out after two terms. If you say you’re against illegal immigration fight for tougher laws and securing the border. If you think we live in a country that follows the rule of law stand up against the Justice Department and it’s universal disregard for the truth, for facts, for reality. If you promised to uphold the constitution then do so. All of it, including the 1st and 2nd amendments. If you think gun rights are important than fight for them. But by all that’s holy do not tell me one thing and do the other and then have the audacity to patronize me and tell me I don’t know how hard it is to be you. You don’t know how hard it is to be me either. So we’re even.
3. I expect my elected officials to LISTEN TO ME. Not agree but listen. I expect you to live HERE, where you’re elected from. I expect you to spend you’re free time HERE in your district. I also expect you to go to Washington and then come back here to your home town and get a job. I expect you to tell the government to take their golden parachute and retirement and put that money back into social security or the military or somewhere else where it’s really needed.
4. I expect you my elected official to fight all foes foreign and domestic up to and including the president of these United States. If someone is a threat to the Constitution, the country and it’s citizens I expect you to Cowboy up and stand your ground. For pity sake stand for something. God, Mom, Apple Pie…………there must be something you won’t give up. I expect you to tell me the honest truth, even if I won’t like it, at the same time if you’ve lied or obfuscated in the past I’m not going to believe you. Don’t insult my intelligence by making soundbites that you think I’ll love so you can cheat on me behind my back. I don’t tolerate that in my personal life and I love my family, I won’t tolerate it from you either.
Most of all I expect you to play by the same rules I have to live by. Balance the government check book, pay your bills, live within your means and for pity’s sake keep your hands and other appendages to yourselves.
Thank you.
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